Weighing scale



Aug. 14, 1928. 1,680,683

J. HOPKINSQN WEIGHING- SCALE Filed March l9, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet Aug. 14, 1928. 1,680,683 'J. HoPKlNsoN WEIGHING SCALE File M r 19. 1926 {Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 14, 1928.

J. HOPKINSON' WEIGHING SCALE Filed M r 19, 1926 a SheetsShe'e't 3 III II Patented Aug. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES 11,680,6 3 E NT ()FFIC E,.

JOSEPH serxms n, or DAYTON, onto, Assiener't ro navrfofi seats countr or DAYTON, (mm, A CORPORATION or New JERSEY.

wErGHINe SCALE.

- Application 1115a March 19; 1926', Serial m. 95,816, and in anathema iiecr'iiber 22, 19525.

This invention pertains to even balance self-indicating weighing scales of the general type disclosed in the specification of my Patent No. 817,777, issued April 17, 1906, and has for its principal object the design of a scale of thattype which may be used across the counter instead of length-- wise thereof. 7 v a {Attempts have been made to design aiscale of that description but they have notbeen entirely. successful, principally on account ofthe difliculty of securingsuflicient vertical length of the check members and still provide sufficientvhorizontal space for the check stays which joinuthe upper ends of the check members to the frame of the .ma-

chine; l

It will be, understoodthat the check stays must be half the length of the main scale beam or lever, and that they must extend in the same direction as, the main lever, which in the cross counterlscale here considered, "is at right anglesto the indicating chart;

For accuracy of performance the check members should be as long as possible; In

the design disclosed in the above pa-tent it' was aneasy matter to make them long because the chartwas parallel tot-he check stays and the stays could therefore be accommodated inthat part of the scale'hous- 'ing which enclosed the chart. However when the chart was turned to 'a position at right angles'to' the scale beam. it is no longer possible to place the upper ends of the check members at the same height as the chart because the check stays would have; to pass through the chart instead of being parallel to it. a a a This has forced the shortening of the cheek members, and cross counter scales have been designed in which ends of the check members are placed in an enlargement of the scale housing above the scale platforms but below the chamber enclosing the pendulum; Such a design has many objections, some of which are-the check membcrs are very short being less than halftheir former length; the check stay housing belng close abovethe goods platform 'or pan'jand projecting over it often interferes with the proper weighing of the goods';also itis difficdlt' to get access to the workingparts'of thescale, the pendulum being in one portion of the housingand the check stays in anwhen: tilt]. the Chart in still another;

'Some of the objects oft-he present invention are to provide check members of as great vertical length as'possible underneath the chart, to have all projections of the scale housing s'ufiic'iently' above 1 the goods platform to not interfere with weighing operation, to assemble in oneunit the pendulumand upper check mechanisms at substantially the same level immediately below thechart, and to design'the scalehousing so that all working parts will be fully at closed while in operation yet easily accessible for adj ustment or repairs:

, The present.invention'comprises a weighmg scale of the type described above in which the chart is at right angles to the beam, the base is enclosed by a removable casing, and the upright housing is'split vertic-ally, one half being removable to give 510- Ycess to the mechanism; Immediately below the chart thehdusmg is enlarged in both I directions to accommodate the 'pendulum,

' check stays, and upper ends of check memhere; In this enlarged chamber is a shelf likebi'acket either integral with or bolted to K the non-removable half of the upright hous- .ing and on this bracket-are mounted the pendulum bearings and the'fiXed ,st'ems lto which the check stays are anchored The check stays are level with or may even be above'the pendulum bearings. The check members extend upwardly from the base of the scale and have the'same gei'i'eral shape as an the scale in above mentioned patent, ex-

cept that the upperends oft-the hec'k menihere are offset sid'ewise to-right and left so thatone may pass cn each side'of the "pendulum:mechanism and not interfere therewith. No working parts are attached to theremovableportions of the base cover or upright housing; Therefore all movable parts of the mechanism are accessible while they arein normal operating position-Q The removable portions of the scale mg or casmg are secured in positron by an 7 improved fastening device which prevents its operation by unauthorized persons,

In the, drawings, a I Fig. l is aside View of the scale ifz'e'ch'anism, the enclosing casings being in section. Fig. 2 is a front-view of the mechanism, the base casing being in section and the removable" portion of the upright housing beingpartly broken away;

Fig. 3fisa-secti0n onlirie 3 3 of Fig. l.

hous- Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the means for locking the two halves of the housing together.

Fig. 8 is another view of Fig. 7. p

The scale base 10 has at its center the-fulcrum pillars 12 on which is pivoted the even balance lever 14 which carries on pivots 72 at its two ends the goods pan 16 and the weight pan 18. Rigidly connected to the goods pan and weight pan are the check members 20 and 22 respectively, extending upwardly inside the vertical housing of the scale, all intheinanner well known in scales of this type. The central portion of base 10 between fulcrums 12. is raised as at 24 and on: the raised portion are mounted the two halves of the vertical housing which supports and encloses the'upper scale mechanism. This vertical housing comprises a main portion 26 and a cover portion 28. To the main portion 26 are secured supports for all working parts of the machine aside from those within the basefwhile cover port-ion 28 acts simply as an enclosing casing having no working parts fastened'to it.

.Cover28 is secured to main vertical housing 26 by means of screw 30 (Fig. 1) and by other screws not shown, threaded into holes 32 (Fig. 2).

The base mechanism of the scale is en- :closed by a casing comprising a major portion 34 and-a minor'portion 36, the two I parts while in position being fastened towhich hold it to housing 26 and base 24.

8 After the base casing and vertical cover 28 are removedvthe scale is still in working order with all working parts in normal position, but accessible for inspection or adjustment. Charts 40 and 42 are secured to housing 26 in its upper portion, the charts facing towards goods pan l6 and weight pan 18 respectively. Immediately below the chart enclosing portion of the vertical housing is a shelf-like bracket 44 (Figs. 1, 2 and 6) fast to housing 26. Mounted on bracket 44 are thebearings 46- in which rests the pivot of the usual pendulum 48, which is connected in the well known manner by cam 50 and tape 52 to check member 20. Also mounted on bracket 44 are check stems 54 and 56 connected by check stays 58 and tion.

. to remove it.

60 to the upper ends of check members 22 and 20 at points 62 and 64 respectively. It will be noted that this arrangement allows the check stays 58 and 60 to be at a higher level than the pendulum 48 and its bearings 46. 66 is the usual dash pot to check vibra- Indicators 68 and 70, secured to the pendulum. structure, cooperate with charts 40 and 42 respectively, to indicate weights of goods on the goods pan 16. If desired, chart 40 may be graduated with computed values .as well as weights, in which case indicator 68 will be of the well known type suitable for pointing out values as well as weights.

It will be noted that check members 20 and 22 are offset to right and left (Fig.2) in order that their upper ends may provide space between them to accommodate the pendulum supporting mechanism. Attention is called to the fact that the upper ends of :check members 20 and 22, although offset, do not project sidewise beyond pivots 72 which support thescale pans or platforms and which are rigidly connected to check members 20 and 22. So long as the offsets in the check members do not carry their upper bearings outside of pivots 72 the proper action of the check members will not be adversely affected.

In order to prevent unauthorized persons from tampering with the scale mechanism one or; more of the casing locking screws is of such design as to require a special tool I have shown such a device in connection with screw 30 (Figs. 7 and 8) which is one of the screws holding cover housing 28 to main housing 26.

The screw head 74 is of some shapev unusual in screw heads, such, for instance, as a triangle. Projecting from the center of head 74 is a headed pin 76, on which is mounted for free rotation an auxiliary or imitation head 78 of the same shape as'the real head 74. Screw head 74 and its companion head 78 are set deep in a counterbored hole 80 in casing 28. Any person authorized to remove screw 30 is provided with a special tool which will reach past the loose head 78 and properly engagereal head 74,

but if an unauthorized person tries to turn bolt 30 with, say a screw driver or similar tool, he will only be able to actuate the auxiliary head 7 8 which will turn idly, thus serving as a guard to protect the real bolt head 74 and thus prevent unauthorized tampering.

To provide access to dash pot 66 for adjustment purposes an opening 80 is rovided (Fig. 1) part of which is in each alf of the vertical housing. To keep the opening closed a plate 82 is provided pivotally supporting on casing 26 (Figs. 2 and 4). hat I claim is r 1. In an automatic scale, in combination, a

hall

'pendulumconnected to one of said check members, and a chart at right angles to said lever, said chart being immediately above and said pendulum immediately belowsaid check stays.

2. An even balance automatic scale comprising in combination a base, "a lever pivotally mounted on said base, check members, check stems, check stays connecting said check members to said check stems, a pendulum, a chart at right angles to said lever, a casing, and a bracket fast to said casing immediately below said chart, said check stems being fast to and said pendulum being pivotally supported on vsaid bracket.

3. The invention set forth in claim 2 in which said casing comprises a main casing which supports scale mechanismpand an auxiliary casing entirely independent of said mechanism, said auxiliary casing being removable to provide access to said mechanism while it is in normal operative position attached to said main casing.

4. A weighing scale of the automatic even balance type comprising load counterbalancingand check structure including check links, a base structure and a vertical structure supported thereon, said base structure supporting a lever, and said vertical structure comprising two housing parts one of which supports a chart at rightangles to said lever, and also supports the load counterbalance means and all check parts, said check parts which are supported thereby including the check links which project toward the other verticallhousing part and into a recess therein, portions of said base structure and the second mentioned housing portion of the vertical structure being removable to provide access to all working parts of the scale while they are in normal operative position.

5. In an automatic scale, in combination, 7

an enclosing casing comprising a main portion and an auxiliary portion normally secured to said main portion by-a screw having a stem and a fixed head of particular size and contour, said screw being provided with an auxiliary head of same size and contour as the fixed head and mounted for free rotation on a stem projecting axially from said fixed head, said heads while in normal position being in a countersink below the surface of said enclosing-casing substantially as described.

6. In an even balance automatic scale, in

combination, a main lever, avcheck system having check links, a pendulum, and a chart at right angles to said check stays, said chart being located above said check stays and said pendulum below said check stays.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature.

JOSEPH HOPKINSON. 

